“Your admitted conduct was not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible. Your team, the NFL, and NFL fans have all been hurt by your actions.” Goodell’s statement read.

This penalty is pretty much what I expected: it will be re-assessed once whatever prison-term Vick gets is served… but I think that it will be a few years post that before we see Michael Vick in a uniform. Read the rest of this entry »

So, it’s been discussed all over the media that Michael Vick’s attorneys recommended he make a deal with the prosecution that would mean he pleads guilty to a lesser (un-named) charge, that would mean he spends 1-2 years in prison. For one reason or another, Vick did not make that deal. Michael Vick is faced with a quandary – if he pleas out, sure – he may lessen the prison term he’s facing… but a guilty plea – after proclaiming his innocence so vociferously – would probably be the death knell of his NFL career. If this goes to court, it’s not now just one guy testifying against Vick, it’s several.

On an ESPN radio show on Friday, Jack Ford of the TV show Courtroom TV explained that a plea- bargain in a Federal Indictment is not quite a guaranteed thing. The prosecution would recommend a sentence – felt in this case to be around 16 months, but if US District Judge Henry E. Hudson – who has a reputation of being very strict on sentencing – felt that he wanted to make an example of this case, then a substantially higher penalty could be applied. And once pleading out, then there’s no walking away from it. Additionally, Ford brought up the specter of possible RICO charges – which could end up in a sentence of up to twenty years. Read the rest of this entry »

I am aghast at the time it is taking NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to do something decisive on the Michael Vick situation.

Sure, I understand all the “innocent-’til-proven-guilty” postulations arguments, but that didn’t stop suspensions of Henry, Johnson and Jones. The line given on these was “bringing the game into disrepute”, and clearly that is something that Henry, Johnson and Jones did. And I am glad that a Commissioner of a professional sports league is standing up and saying that enough is enough.

For far too long pro-athletes have gotten away with – quite literally sometimes – murder. It’s quite apparent that fame-as-currency has quite a bit of pull… even in the courtrooms of the world (this is not merely confined to the boundaries of the USA). Goodell’s stance on behavior is a welcome respite to the collective blind-eye that has been turned to athletes-behaving-badly.

But Vick… on Vick Roger seems indecisive, faltering and uncertain. The swift, heavy hammer of Goodell’s justice fell quickly on others, why not Michael Vick? Commissioner Goodell told Vick that he would bare responsibility for anything that occurred at the Moonlight Road property. And as it now stands, there can be no doubt that some pretty abominable stuff was going on there. Read the rest of this entry »

As I stated in my opinion ‘Some consistency… please.’, it was surprising that the Surry County Attorney General had not yet executed the search warrant on Michael Vick’s property on Moonlight Road… and now that same Attorney General – Gerald Poindexter – is raising the question: “Would they have done this if it wasn’t Michael Vick?”, now that federal authorities have enacted their own search under the authority of a sealed warrant.

A day later, Poindexter offers some conciliation, stating that there will be “parallel investigations“, but he continues to assert that it’s Vick’s celebrity that’s making this a bigger issue that it really is. Then he raised the race card, stating “There’s something awful going on here. I don’t know if it’s racial.”

Please.

What’s amazing to me is how Poindexter’s been dragging his feet, giving no substantial reasoning behind not executing the warrant that his office had procured. The Commonwealth Attorney General stated that he had problems with the way the warrant was worded, but that they were ‘working on attaining another one’. Their warrant expired last Thursday.

Well, too late. Now it belongs to someone else to prosecute this case. Federal authorities moved in and searched the property at Moonlight Road under a ‘sealed warrant’. Poindexter stated that local officials were invited to be present during the search, but that only a deputy sheriff attended.

Depending on if & what charges are laid against Vick, a federal indictment would just about guarantee a longer sentence being sought than that of 5 years maximum with a conviction in Virginia for dogfighting and animal cruelty.

And what impact has this had on the NFL? Well, Michael Vick canceled his football camp, claiming ‘scheduling issues’ as the reason the June 30-July 3 has been terminated.

Riiiiiiiight.

Would that be a conflict of schedule with court appearances or with meetings with Roger Goodell?

/sarcasm…

So… what are the Atlanta Falcons doing? Falcons Management sent out a letter (Blank Letter?) to season ticket holders, basically stating that it would be inappropriate for them to act until the truth is out there facts are made clear… Fair enough.

The NFL Commissioner continues to watch… which is bullshit damn convenient. Very much at odds with the way Adam Jones was penalized (for activities bringing the game into disrepute), and incongruous behavior from the Commish – given that Goodell told Vick that he was responsible for any activity going on in the house. And? Thus far nothing… With Pacman & co. (Chris Henry, Tank Johnson), Goodell reserved the right to reassess the penalty given at a later date. Why not do the same with Vick?

Situation is only getting bigger Mr. Commish… and your refusal to act is puzzling.

Not sure about the general consensus, but surely Roger Goodell’s doing his own credibility some damage at the moment. He suspends Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones, for bringing the game into disrepute, and yet Michael Vick is still walking around, with nary a threat to his play-time… yet.

Does anyone doubt that Vick was at the very least aware of what was going on at the house on Moonlight Road, at more likely he was heavily involved. I believe that the only reason that Goodell hasn’t acted yet is because he was requested not to by the Surry County Attourney General, and the Surry County Sheriff’s office requested the NFL to not act precipitously. Still, pedigree papers with Vick’s name on them, emails and eyewitness accounts – anyone thinking he’s NOT guilty??? I also find it surprising that the AG hasn’t yet executed a search warrant they have for the Moonlight Road property… and that the existence of the search warrant is of public knowledge now. Surely that puts later searches in jeopardy of not bearing any fruit at all!?? It’s all a bit weird…

In his meeting with the Commissioner, Vick stated unequivocally that he had nothing to do with anything untoward, and the Commish told him unequivocally that anything that transpired on that property was HIS responsibility. Ignorance is no excuse.

Arthur Blank really finds himself between the proverbial rock & a hard place here… does he dump Vick, and risk another team with fewer scruples take him, or does he hold onto a guy that may well not be playing for a very long time to come. Definitely: should Blank boot Vick, and then he gets suspended by the Commissioner’s Office, then he (Blank) looks like he’s doing the right thing by the NFL. But if nothing comes of it… he loses a guy who really isn’t getting the job done anyway.

IT’S A NO WIN SITUATION ARTHUR, DUMP THE GUY!!!!

Either way… I’d be very surprised if it’s Michael Vick stepping out to general the Falcons September 9th at the Metrodome versus the Vikings (first game at the Georgia Dome is Sept. 23).